Behind his dimpled smile and sugary eyes lies a past of hardships. Zee lives aimlessly, hopping from job to job, unable to keep stable employment. But when he is invited to take a position at the prestigious Haven Hotel, Zee's life changes from a le...
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Zee's hands clenched the steering wheel, slightly damp and stiff as he plastered a smile on his face. He peeked through his rearview mirror and smiled as he saw his mother bopping her head to the radio playing. He giggled as his father slightly nudged his mother, his face slightly soured.
"Stop dancing like that," he said to his wife, "Don't you realize this is why I never took you dancing when we were younger?"
Zee chuckled as his parents began to argue and bicker, slapping each other across the seat.
"Mom! Dad! Stop fighting!" Zee laughed as he continued driving, feeling warmth rise back to his fingertips, "This is a good night. We don't want you two getting into a brawl before we reach the restaurant."
Zee's father crossed his arms in front of his chest and his mother fiddled on her phone. Zee chuckled as it went quiet before his parents began to slowly chat about a funny video his mother saw on her phone. Zee watched as the sky began to darken, the sun hiding behind the gray clouds. He knitted his brows, feeling the dark color of the sky fill his vision. He cleared his throat, "Mom, Dad... Do you know why we're eating out tonight?"
His mother opened her mouth to speak but Zee's father put his hand on the passenger seat's headrest and raised his other hand, like he was answering a teacher's quiz question, "Because you are treating us to dinner?"
"You—" Zee's mother slapped his arm and Zee chuckled as she leaned back in her seat, "Obviously, it's because our baby has finally graduated high school."
"Ding ding ding!" Zee grinned, "That's right!"
"So does that mean you're not treating us to dinner?"
Zee laughed, "I'll pay for dinner too, don't worry."
"Your father is just joking," his mother affirmed to which Zee chuckled.
Their son smiled as he merged into the turning lane. The constant beeping of the turning signal soothed him as he felt a breath stuck in his throat. He clenched the steering wheel, his fingers turning white and taut. As he turned the corner, he swallowed hard. He glanced down to the GPS: five minutes before your destination. Zee took in a deep breath.
"W– what if..."
"Huh?" Zee's father asked, "What did you say?"
"Dear, we can't hear you."
Zee's lip quivered as he tried again, "I have... I have something important to say."
"Son?"
Zee didn't dare to look at their faces in the rearview mirror.
"Is that why you're taking us to dinner?" Zee's father asked, "Why not just say it at home?"
